The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-05-12
Politics in Mexico.

~
THE ''TTIIRD TERM TALK DURING GRANTS
| LAST ADMINISTRATION. PRESIDENT DIAZ'
! AMBITION. A PROSPECT THAT THE LAW OF
THE LAND WILL BE ALTERED To SERVE Ills
ENDS, AND THAT HE WILL REMAIN DICTA-
TOR FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD.
Correspondence of the journal.
! MEXICo. Apr. 18th, 1887. Just now the al
sorbing subject of interest everywhere in this
country is the extension of tine presidential
| term, as pertaining to the approaching election.
According to MrXico'S organic law, the Prcsi-
dents term Of office is four years. and he can
not bc his own immediate successor. Up to
the year 1876 he was entitled to Il second or
more consecutive terms, and General Porfirio
! niaz. the present executive. fought hard to fix
the law as it now stands - probably not then
dreaming that one day his own interests would
he directly involved. Eleven years ago. when
| President l.crdo was trying to induce Congress
| TO declare that his election to a third term was
legitimate, piaz improved the occasion to get
up Il lively revolution ON the doctrine that two
| Successive presidential terms was entirely ull-
constitutional and that such departure would
ruin The country. Tie ''no-rcelcrton" cry be
came the watch word By which the emi>>ares of
| piaz-wllo made him chcf-startcd that SAN
@'iiilary war known is ''the revolution Of Tux
| tcl,ec" from tie name of the village where it
| began in Di:Z' native State of OaXaca. The
! r,.,,,+
va, '''''' ~ '"N '''''i VI :" po'' '''"o
was ovcrthrown and driven into exile.
| bA lhc way. 1hl> Senor Don StD;l.t IAN lerdo
de Telada : who was about tlfeaHfTy Scholarly
| president Mexico ever HaA--n0W resides per-
manently in the city Of New York. He is Il re-
!liiea aid a%fceahlc gentleman: greatly beloved
ny Il rotefle OF a.lmirlh@ American friends, and
Is SAM 10 ENJOY iie IN our metropolis far better
''';.a ever III ms own disturbed 'and.
IL Is astonishing now hlf1ercnt'y things look
| Mhch viewed from the STANDPOINT OF onc's own
interest! President NmZ now finds himself III
ihe SITUATION OF Ierdu &c lcli'i:.- and the very
| palfot VINO raised Il revolution and sacrificed
thousands u lives to the np-ree;cctlon cry. is
now .l,l>l lis ready to raise another to keep hin-
| >r!i III power. i)laz has already been twice
elected to the l'residcnry and III reality he has
enjoyed thc loave> and fishes three terms, for it
j. Wei hiioWn lfti Wien. ~ ESQ, ne yielded TO
MS friend ana ally, Manuel GtnraltH, he still
r"Eli'ie' 'ie fclhs o! government ahd remained
"' '"fh' ife>llltlil t'ehlarZ i'eIiig but pup
PEI IN ms htnds.
III mas become quite Inc fashion III the ntcd
'';Hte> to affirm tia; i'iaz is the onl! President
VII" mas ever stl'rt"trl III Keeping McAiro at
i'a'" ny suprT'>>'h- revolutions; but such Is
hE no means the ease. lii tn" iir>t place, the
!ftale>' .'reNoluter INC country has produced
: i'E'- himself ani' IKE spoiled ci!ll'l, as
i'"g a> me arrl-@, neral"r of prn"""ri"I"e"-
fS 'i''' ''''",i>li"u possesses ai ltf" Is III the
country worth ii9hlln= TOR. ne VIII not return
I" ms "ht trucks. lii'i anybody h!it himself
'ri: i'll lie ii'a'' "l a;'aiFS "'ifh" le Iast d-
;''' rev oii.i"i'> "o'i''i my n,eh 'f;, "reF OF
'ii' h"'ir' II IL M power !" llsli@ac liItni-eN-
,''iiH is Wh'n upon tril ia' rft'eNt. ne 'hNo'Ntd
ne country IN Il lerr'h" war !" o'i>t icrho' Is
| pfcIiollS TO lha' he h''I even ''pr"n"llnrcd
I a2aiii>i 'h'rt/' VINO l. NO" almost rah"nZed
i ;'S " SAINT t.>ihrlE btratt>r lie ltaZ) had not
/ '"'i - 'Hr "'Nri 81 h'iHafl prtltf'hch'.
lF">h!th' l''iH Is Il warrior, ny instinct As
well as hy chlirl'lon' and j. u" less successful
a. Il Wif'-idih'r ;hln manipulation. lrl WIN a!i
- >h'i ''t''i ~'h''iil. ih l'' almost ii!siili-
"t i""'f over M'Nlr" "h'h ne hni"'. wh"
"'''"', f'' Hhh's anu 'Ffa>HfN' H. ms never
pee" a,''e |" '"l!r'iE suppress revolutions Hi
| 'h'> "inapiI country. mere mas scarcely been
Il h'"iiti "tirh@ All l> administration when the
III f"'N h'i> ''' '"'" ';'i''! upon 10 put uo"h IL
FtNnt >ontW Wi!"fri ana IN" truth remains that
! '' ift>'lrh' = h"t iitaflN :" i,opuiaf AT nome
''> 'il"s' VINO Hfr paIh y, ihr AirNlr;h govern
iht'' TO manipulate III" alleged news Woulh
lH'nt 'hc Mor'n h1'ieN":
hn' ne Hoi'i> tlt ftlii>. ana III ihi> country
IN mt'' 'o'ihl: l"l more tilah 'iinr POINTS IN law.
ne press Is SUBSIDIZED ana d'rtrt'y coiltfoiieu
ny me governments "ha mat ]"i'rhai Whicn
"""id venture 10 proceed up; "A lilc pl;l'l or
:.liiini~traiuli-to sly nothing Of Offering yi,,-
icni upposilion-w would lind Itself suppressed
in>;antc; and the or il,i.ht consider himself
III, Ks if no worse than Punishment and rontiS-
cation OF property were. his pIlni>hu,nt
There are thousands in Mexico who strongly
object to Diaz' Dictatorship. but Of the two
cyiI>-1hat Of war or s,ihnliS>ion-the choose
the latter, which to them seem, least. The
country is tired uf fighting and Tho. saving has
become current. "a bad Government i, better
than Il rood rtNululi1u" Not by amy means is
it due 10 Diaz' popularity or beneficial adlnl-
i>raton that there has been fewer rcyult% dur
iu@ he lat ten Ncar> but that the hnpoyrrish-
ed country had fought itself out and needed n
breathing spell. Also. as civilization advances,
here as ei>cW here, the .arts of urar,." more
and more engage the attention of thc peol,Ir
and the wiser leaders - anxio,i, to build M a
more permanent pruSnerjty by rnro,ra"nr
commerce, agriculture .u, u,aulllactrrics-ar,
willing to conc,.,ic match for the ittlc-known
luxury of polilirll quiet
Though Mexico is not prolific OF "prcSien-
till timber" there are capable men among the
!ll. Captal city, awaiting tl.e action of Con-
the Constitution allow Inc Dlz' rcpL.r,iuu. and
doubtless more than one of Them wouId ruIr
;ac country rs wisely for tha ucoulc If ,rss
>lmew,lIv for his own Interests. ihau the pres
emf inc,i!nli..nt. But there are not :, few com
plicaiions. 4, niaz absolutely controls Con-
.rcSs. the army and the finances. as he MANAGES
the press to suit his own purpose. and has been
sayacio,,s cnouyl, TO do eycrythiuy nossjb|,
toward dcNclupin" railroads and ,.iyinn securi-
" 10 foreign .apit:u.-hr is thr hardest n,n ia
J...t a., ,,.,. a.,